Grace
Episcopal Church
Sheboygan,
Wisconsin
Grace
Notes
11 June 2015
Today is the feast of St. Barnabas the
Apostle, a father of the Church prominent as Paul’s partner in the first
missionary journey recounted in Acts, and then in his own journey to Cyprus
(with his cousin, Mark). Barnabas was
a Cypriot Jew (acts 4.36), named an apostle (Acts
14.14). Barnabas and Paul traveled
together making ca. 45—47, and participated in the Council of
Jerusalem (ca. 50). Barnabas and Paul successfully evangelized
among the Gentiles who attended synagogues in
various cities of Anatolia.
Barnabas’ name was given to him (Acts 4.36)
to replace his given name, Joseph. The
meaning of his name relates to encouragement and consolation. As discussed the column found below (“Start
with a Smile”) a very basic element in all ministry involves encouragement, and
this can only happen on the basis of personal human contact. Ministry involves programs and projects,
certainly. Ministry involves things we
do together, as those gathered in Our Lord’s Name. But at its most fundamental level, ministry
is personal; it must involve a connection at the most individual
level. And that’s where you come in, and
where each of us can bear the name of encouragement and consolation.
How can you encourage others? Most of all by a “ministry of presence”. This is a life ministry in which you make
sure that in all of your interactions with others you are present to them. You pay attention. Other people are not part of a multi-tasking
palette in which you hold a conversation while looking at your phone or
tablet. Once you are present, it is then
that you can listen—both with your ears and with your heart—and hear what the
person whom you are with is carrying. If
it is joy, then celebrate in joy with him/her!
If it is sorrow, or doubt, or fear, or anger, remember that when Jesus
teaches that we are to bring burdens to Him (Mtt. 11.28), He teaches this right
after revealing that we may know the Father because He (Jesus) reveals the
Father to us. In other words, burdens
are shared, and burdens are offered to Jesus, and relieved by Jesus, within the
community of all who believe in Him.
What can be more encouraging than to walk
alongside of someone, particularly knowing that when two or three of us gather,
or walk alongside each other, in Jesus’ Name, He is with us (Mtt. 18.20)? Our culture would keep us all too busy, and
too focused in multitasking. Let us
encourage one another first by being present to each other, just as Barnabas
took the time to be with people.
A final note: In our baptismal vows we promise to proclaim
the Good News of God in Jesus Christ in who we are and in what we say. It is in being present to each other, in
building community, that we encourage in proclamation. What we have to say about the Good News, and
about encouraging each other in this truth, is founded upon the simple practice
of first stopping, taking a breath, and then focusing on the person before
us. It’s then that ministry happens.
Grace
abounds: Please thank:
§
Kevan
and Traci Revis, and Bobbi and Kaleigh Kraft, Jane Hanson and Mary Massey for
the Sunday coffee hours.
§
Terry
Kohler for providing for lawn care during the recuperation of our sexton.
Podcasts! Podcasts
are found on the website under “Media”.
You can also subscribe on ITunes or with RSS full feed at:
It’s Time for Camp!
You’ve heard it said before and I’ll say it
again, “Camp is one of the BEST things the Diocese of Fond du Lac does!”.
Personally, I’m disappointed that I’m unable to be at camp this year. However,
I’m SO excited that SO many from our parish WILL be there!!!
If you’re like me and are disappointed that
you can’t attend, it’s not too late for you to participate in others ways. First, please remember our campers and staff
in prayer. While you’re at it, I’m sure
the good Lord wouldn’t mind a few extra words related to good weather, few bugs,
and peace for any nervous parents. Secondly, kids young and old LOVE getting
mail from “home”! A note, card or letter is always a welcome gift. “Mail call”
can be bring an added bright spot to the day!
Listed below are the names of our campers
and the dates for camp. I’ll be providing transportation on Sunday, June 14th
and again Saturday, June 20th. If there is mail you’d like me to
take to the Camp for distribution during any of the camps, I’d be happy to take
it along. Otherwise, if you decide to use the postal system, please try to send
mail well enough before the last day when the camper is supposed to depart.
Note: from Sheboygan, I’ve seen it take as long as 3 full days to get to camp.
Here’s to our campers and staff. May they
have a fantastic, Spirit-driven time at camp!!
By His love,
Bobbi Kraft
MAIL:
Camper
Name, Session (Senior/Middler/Junior/Kinder)
Fond
du Lac Camp
c/o
Camp Lakotah
N1875
21st Ave
Wautoma,
WI 54981
Senior Camp: Sunday, June 14th - Saturday, June 20th
Emily
Boland
Kaleigh
Kraft
Michele
Whitford - Session Director
Nick
Whitford - Camp Staff
Middler Camp: Sunday, June 21st – Thursday, June 25th
Ben
Crouse
McKenna
Schumacher (and her friend Grace W.)
Junior Camp: Sunday, June 21st – Thursday, June 25th
Rachel
Boland
Maya
McMillan
Josten
McMillan
Katie
Schumacher (and her friends Madie W. and Belle W.)
KinderCamp: Thursday, June 25th-
Saturday, June 27th
Leona
Aparicio accompanied by Paul Aparicio
MaryGrace
Boland accompanied by Susan McIntosh
Further
camp notes! Camp begins this
Sunday, and for some of us, this is the time when we might start singing:
"It's the most wonderful time of the year". There's something truly
special about having a space that is so specifically set aside to be wildly,
boisterously, Christian. To be a community for a little while that is set upon
a rock of trust, faith, compassion and humility. To learn more about what it
means to be a follower of Christ, and to practice being that person with others
who have the same struggles in "the real world". We come together to
be a community of people interested in bringing each other along on a journey
of discovery. To find what it means to be a Christ-follower, what it means to
love your neighbor, what it means to win a belly-flop contest in the lake.
Wait...
what?
Oh yeah, while I stop myself from waxing
rhapsodic over the church stuff, we also have 'camp' at church camp. fires,
forests, prairies, cabin shells (an upgrade from the tent platforms), a
delightful lack of electricity in certain areas, and of course the lake and
beach. There is so much happening at camp all of the time, both scheduled and
unscheduled, both in a group or by yourself in the beauty of creation, both in
the loud times and the silent times. There is something for everyone at camp.
We are deliberately trying to be Spirit-lead,
going where God sends us. That might mean that we need to spend extra time
processing some heavy theological point in our small groups. Or we need to
gather as a large group and vent our frustrations about expectations vs.
reality. Perhaps we spend a lot more time in worship and instead of having a
fire, and we just pray together. All of these things have happened, and often
when it comes to the Holy Spirit, the only thing we can do (as a staff) is
throw out the schedule and be open to God.
So! Over
the next two weeks we will have camp for everyone from 4 year-olds through high
school graduates, setting aside time to learn about who God is and what it
means to be a community of Jesus followers, and doing it in a setting that is
to many a God space, a thin place. Please pray for all of those going as
campers, as staff, and as parents of campers.
Camp doesn't really end, we empower the
students to "go forth" and take what they have learned and use it,
explore it, expand on it. We encourage the students to be leaders in their
churches, and to tell and teach others what it is we do and did. Pray also for
open hearts and minds for the congregations of those who attend camp, very
often it is a vital injection of faith and love and hope for the church, and we
certainly don't want to miss out on it.
Grace and Peace,
Nick
Call for
Contributions: If you
have a spiritual reflection to share, or want to point your fellow worshippers
toward a resource, submit your contributions to Fr. Karl (by email) by
Wednesday in the week of publication.
Start
with a Smile: When was the last time you were standing in
line to get checked out in the grocery store & started talking to the
person ahead or behind you? Or even when
you were being checked out, talked with the checker or bagger? Did you know that research shows that low
social connection is worse for you than smoking or over-eating? Didn’t Jesus talk to all those who gathered
around him, even an unknown woman who touched his cloak. She wanted to know him & when we take the
initiative, again research shows that over 90% of people we engage in
conversation reciprocated. Most people
also report that when they have conversations with strangers they feel better
about themselves. When we retreat from
those around us, we experience feelings of loneliness, depression &
anxiety. Jesus spent a large part of his
ministry among strangers & meeting them where they were at. Even the disciples were strangers at first
before they became his trusted friends.
It is scary to talk with strangers, but the more you do it, the easier
it becomes. Here are some simple
steps: 1) Make eye contact & smile. 2)
Talk with the person at the cash register & if they have a name tag,
call them by name. 3) Find an icebreaker that connects you with the
person, like the weather. 4) Connect with people you come in contact with
like salespeople or your mail person.
Not only do you get to know this person, but I guarantee that you will
get better service from them. Jesus did
not sit in the temple waiting for people to come to him, he went out to where
the people were, talked with them, met them where they were at & got to
know them. We need to follow his example
to make a friend & be a friend by loving them where they are at & the
best way to do that is to smile. It
changes everything, not just with them, but with us. It is natural to be concerned about what
could go wrong from this encounter, but instead focus on what could go
right. You will be surprised & I
know you will be blessed. If connecting
with others can make us happy, what is holding you back? Take a step in faith & start with a
smile! (B. Drewry-Zimmerman)
Education
for Ministry: If you were at the late service the Sunday
the bishop was here, you noted that four of us were recognized for completing
the four years of Education for Ministry.
We learned a lot in those four years, both from the materials and from
each other as we studied and discussed.
There was a lot to read but fortunately no tests! Topics for the four years were:
Year
1—Old Testament
Year
2—New Testament
Year
3—History of Christianity
Year
4—Theology
This
month’s Clarion (p. D) has more
information about EfM.
If
you would like to look at the materials to see if you would like to join the
new group that begins in the fall, you can find them in a blue bin in Michele’s
office. They will be there through the
end of July. I would be very happy to
talk with you further about EfM if you have questions.
Pat
Sather
920-452-4542 psather42@gmail.com
Music
this week: Music for Sunday, 14 June. Proper 6B2.
Prelude Preludio M. E. Bossi
Entrance
Hymn 388 “O worship the King” Hanover
Mass
Setting New English Folk Mass Timms & Warrell
Offertory
Hymn 525 “The Church’s one
foundation” Aurelia
Communion
Hymn 302 “Father, we thank thee who hast
planted” Rendez à Dieu
Closing
Hymn 411 “O bless the Lord, my
soul” St. Thomas (Williams)
Postlude Rédemption
Bossi
Help needed! If you have experience in
house painting, please see Fr. Karl about a project to re-stain and seal the
doors around the church.
Parish
Notices
§ Special All Parish Forum: Sunday, June 14th
we will hold a special all-parish forum to discuss a new and exciting
ministry initiative. This will happen at 9 a.m., in St. Nicholas Hall. What we will discuss involves a 21st
century outreach program, in which we will build a web-based outreach ministry.
This opportunity arises because of a very generous gift made to the parish, a
gift that will allow us to live-stream what happens here. Please come and join
the conversation.
§ Michele Gone: It is camp time
again and I will be out of the office beginning Monday, June 15 – Friday, June
19th. If you are available to volunteer at the desk to answer the
phone and take messages please call the office at 452-9659. You don’t need to
know anything, just have time and willingness to sit in the front office. There
may be time to read, or knit! Next week, when I am out, please be patient for a
call back. I will have limited access to email and cell service but I will
check and try to respond to urgent needs. Please pray for the councilors and
campers all week.
§ Elkhart Lake Chapel: We are in need of
help for the following Sundays: July 5, August 2 and 9. This would include:
picking up the box of bulletins at Grace Church, arriving a little early to
open the buildings, finding readers for the lessons and the prayers of the
people, lighting candles, greeting the visiting priest, various other tasks,
locking up at the end and returning the box to Grace Church. There are
instructions printed and several people who would be able to help if you have
questions. Please sign up for a Sunday or two by calling the office at 452-9659
with dates you are available. Thank you.
§ Adult Formation: We will continue
a series on Prayer at Grace Church at 9:00am in St. Nicholas Hall on June 21st.
We will discuss how Jesus prayed and how he healed; what the Bible says about
prayer; the history of prayer here at Grace Church, including the Walsingham
Pilgrimage and the healing ministry. This will be led by Deacons Michele and
Mike.
§ Altar Guild: The Altar Guild is
a very important ministry in the life of the church. This is the team that gets
the vestments and the holy vessels ready for each service and then cleans up
after each service. As the deacon, I will tell you that this team of people enables
the clergy and people to worship in a seemingly effortless fashion. There are
several members of the Altar guild who are moving away. We are in great
need of a few more willing to take on a new ministry. This can be a
weekday, or weekend, there will be training and support in all areas. Please
speak with Claudia Fischer or Deacon Michele if you even think you may want to
try it out.
§ It’s Coming! Save the date: Saturday, August
8, 2015, Brat Fry at Miesfeld’s!! (More news to follow, we need your help!)
Brat fryers, stand attendants, baked goods attendants, bakers!! Contact Bob
MacEwen at 467-6909 to lend a hand now!
§ Follow Grace Church on Twitter: @GEC_Sheboygan
We Are on
Itunes! Check out the new
podcast!!!
